J&K wants compensation for kin of policemen to be increased

New Delhi: With attacks on its police force on the rise, the Jammu and Kashmir government has approached the Centre seeking compensation for its personnel who die in action on par with that of central paramilitary forces, a government official said. The Jammu and Kashmir government has conveyed to the home ministry that the kin of state police personnel who die in action gets around Rs 16-18 lakh as compensation and it should be enhanced and made on par with the central paramilitary personnel, the official, who does not wished to be quoted, said.
The close relatives of paramilitary personnel who die in action gets around Rs 75 lakh as compensation and Home Minister Rajnath Singh had recently said that the amount would be increased to Rs 1 crore.
The home ministry is understood to have conveyed to the Jammu and Kashmir government that the compensation amount should be given from the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) fund but the state maintained that the amount should be given by the Centre directly without touching the SRE fund.
So far no decision has been taken on the issue, the official said.
More than 10 Jammu and Kashmir police personnel have been killed in incidents of violence in the last six months.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has also urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to enhance the “hardship allowance” for the state police force by bringing it on par with that of central paramilitary forces.
She pointed out the Jammu and Kashmir police was at the forefront of the battle against militancy in the state and was the first respondent to all emergencies, state officials said. (Agencies)